The mark of a truly great live act in my opinion is they will perform the same for seven people as they will for seven thousand. Although the people stayed away People Under The Stairs tore up the stage of Producers for an appreciative audience.

It seems a casualty of so many great events over the festive season is that across the board attendances slide as people pick and choose while some parties attendance bombs altogether. After enduring the ridiculously hot outdoor temperatures at Summer Break I arrived at Producers Bar around 10:30 and was one of maybe half a dozen people inside the venue who were not acts. Thoroughly worried on the promoters behalf I took up residence on a couch and bobbed my head to the tunes floating through the room.

First live act for the night and with the crowd having swelled to maybe 12 people was two thirds of the Social Change live show DJ Snair and Funkwig. Taking up control of the mic was Dialect. As Funkwig banged away with freestyle drums and Snair provided the turntable activity Dialect proved he is one of the best young freestylers in the scene. He spat off the top of his head for nearly the entire set, closing with one, maybe two written tracks and making sure to jokingly refer to the crowds immense size throughout. As Dialect finished DJ Snair played a trick DMC style set, he came runner up in this years Australian final and with the skills that were on display it should be no surprise to anyone.

Following Snair it was BVA located behind the decks, playing some old skool classics, think Tribe to Big Daddy Cane right through to the obligatory Black Sheep cut. As Thes One and Double K took to the stage as the duo People Under The Stairs and urged us all to the front the crowd had filled out to around 45 – 50 people. Sure it is still well below what artists of their caliber deserved and only a fifth of what the venue holds, but at least the stage front area was full. To their credit PUTS took it all in their stride, finding out the front rows names and joking this was possible as “there is only like five of us here.” Matt in particular got special attention referenced in many tracks and freestyles and used as their foil as they endeared themselves to the crowd. Working through a lot of tracks from the last couple of releases those in attendance were clearly big fans as the lyrics were chanted back eagerly and call and response moments actually quite loud. Thes and Double ripped across the stage like the professionals they are, Thes mounting speaker stacks and spitting freestyles, Double working the decks and supplying the beat box where required. They even had time for requests, Thes donning a Prince style wig and purple scarf for San Francisco Nights a track that in the groups own words: “you haven’t shut up about all night.”

PUTS put on a great live show, the sound in Producers was the best I have heard it in a long time for hip-hop and it was a thoroughly enjoyable set. Where the hell Adelaide’s massive hip-hop community was I have no idea, but it was definitely a set not to miss.